The Journal of Young Investigators is proud to announce the success of the second annual Virtual Poster Session. Undergraduate students participated in this one-of-a-kind event, demonstrating the variety and quality of research that can be found around the world.

Dream Recall Frequency (DRF) has been used in many studies throughout psychology. Studies have shown correlations between moods and DRF (Schredl, M. et al. 2009; Tart, C. T. 1962); however, few correlations have been made regarding the increase of DRF by electronic media, such as video games. In this experiment participants were given questionnaires and dream journals to track their abilities to recall nocturnal dreams.

Lipases catalyze the hydrolysis of fats to form glycerol and fatty acids. Secreted lipases have been implicated as virulence factors in some pathogens. Previously a gene encoding a secretory lipase from the human protozoan pathogen Leishmania donovani was identified and characterized however, experimental evidence to support the biological role of secreted lipases in Leishmania sp. remains to be elucidated. The goal of this project was to express the secretory lipase gene, LdLIP3, from L. donovani and characterize its lipolytic activity.